The SAT and ACT are nationally recognized and respected tests. Historically, there has been a geographic divide between the two; today, very few universities require or prefer one test over the other. So which one should you take? Well, since you can’t really say that one test is easier than the other, it all depends on your skills and preferences. Basically, you should choose the one that you will get a higher score!
Here are some tips to help you make your decision:
1. Who says size doesn’t matter?
The ACT is a shorter test. The SAT is a whopping 3 hours and 45 minutes while the ACT is a whopping 2 hours and 55 minutes, making the SAT 30% longer than the ACT. Either way, you’re stuck taking a long test. If you have a ridiculously short attention span, then the ACT might be right for you, but realistically, after almost 3 hours, why sweat another 50 minutes?
2. When in doubt, just guess… right?
The SAT has a penalty for guessing: minus a quarter point for each wrong answer. Not so with the ACT. Guess! Therefore, you must answer all questions on the ACT, but on the SAT, you must leave the answer blank when you cannot eliminate at least one answer choice. Does this make the SAT “harder”? Not really. With the right strategies, you can even make the SAT guessing penalty work to your advantage.
3. It’s a bird! It is a plane! It’s superscore!
The SAT reports each of its three “sub scores” separately, one each for critical reading, writing, and math. Therefore, many colleges will combine your best three subscores from all the times you’ve taken the SAT to make a “superscore.” In the past, schools did not do this with the ACT. Recently, however, many schools have also begun doing ACT “super scores.”
4. What’s the difference anyway?
Both tests have parts of grammar, reading comprehension, essay and mathematics. The ACT has an extra “science” section, but don’t worry. I used quotes because it’s really just another test of your reasoning skills: you don’t need a lot of knowledge of chemistry, physics, or biology. Generally speaking, the ACT tests skills you (should have) learned in high school, while the SAT tries to test your innate problem-solving abilities.
For example, the ACT math section tests have few topics that aren’t normally covered until precalculus. While the SAT skips these topics, its math problems generally have more complicated setups.
The ACT essay is optional, but some colleges still require it. The topics of his essays are always school policy issues, while the SAT essays deal with more abstract moral or philosophical questions.
In the critical reading sections, the SAT vocabulary is more difficult, but the ACT tests your critical reading and analysis skills. The ACT English section gives you a couple of long passages with grammar and critical reading questions mixed in; the SAT tests reading and grammar separately.
5. You can’t know if you like it until you’ve tried it!
How do I know which test is best for me? Try them! Take some free practice tests online and see which one suits your needs. Both the SAT and ACT offer practice questions or tests on their official websites.